Metal parts are fabricated by a variety processes such as casting, die casting, and forging. One of the more common processes used for manufacturing metal parts is called metal stamping, which has been in use for over 150 years. Metal stamping, which in general involves taking a flat metal sheet and converting into a shaped article (i.e., a metal part) using a die and press, is a cost-effective process because it permits metal parts to be manufactured at high production rates.
In a conventional metal stamping process, a sheet of metal stock material, such as aluminum, copper, zinc, steel, stainless steel, nickel, titanium, or the like, is introduced into a stamping press such as a mechanical or hydraulic stamping press. The stamping press has a die means and a punch means which together are used to form blanks from the initial sheet of stock material. These blanks are then subjected to further stamping procedures to form metal parts. See, e.g., U.S. 2001/0039865 which describes the formation of cylindrical metal blanks having the thickness of the original metal sheet which can then be converted into washers by a piercing process or used as blanks for producing other parts.
A disadvantage of conventional metal stamping processes is that the formation of the blanks from the initial sheet of stock material and the subsequent further processing of the blanks into metal parts can result in generation of excessive amounts of scrap material, thereby adding to the cost of manufacture due to both loss of material and cost of waste disposal.